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Even the mildest hayfever sufferers know how difficult it can be to keep track of changes in pollen levels.

With this in mind, a design team has devised a prototype sensor that constantly monitors local pollen and air quality readings.

These readings are combined with online data to warn sufferers about fluctuations via a smartphone app.

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The Nosee prototype consists of an app (pictured left) and an external sensor (right). The web-connected sensor constantly monitors local pollen and air quality levels and will report changes in levels to the app

In addition to offering localised readings, the app can also warn users to take medication, or to avoid certain areas where their hayfever would be particularly bad.

Called Nosee, the prototype was created by Birmingham-based digital studio 383.

Nosee consists of an external sensor that syncs with a smartphone app.

This Wi-Fi-enabled sensor can be placed in a garden, or outside a house or office to constantly monitor local pollen and air quality levels.

These readings are then combined with Met Office pollen data and weather forecast.

The app uses a traffic light colour system to warn users about low, medium or high levels and asks them to record how they're feeling. 

These manual inputs can also be used to make the local readings more accurate and specific.

 

Sick of hay fever? A solution could be at hand

The Nosee sensor (pictured left) can be placed in a garden, or outside a house or office. Local readings are combined with Met Office pollen data and weather forecasts. The app uses a traffic light colour system to warn users about low, medium or high levels and asks them to record how they're feeling (pictured right)

The service also learns a user's personal hayfever triggers, such as which types of pollen affect them the most, and can send specific alerts about these triggers. Nosee is a prototype (watch concept pictured), designed to show what apps and sensors are capable of recording

'The daily pollen forecasts issued by the Met Office paint the country with broad strokes either of high, medium or low scores, but it's often specific locations or pollen types that cause the most irritating effects,' said the design team at 383.

The Nosee service also learns a user's personal hayfever triggers, such as which types of pollen affect them the most, and can send specific alerts about these triggers.

Nosee is a prototype, designed to show what apps and sensors are capable of. The team at 383 don't have any current plans to release the device.